Odisha House conducts business sans Opp

In an unusual way, the State Assembly on Friday, the 10th and penultimate day of its Monsoon Session, and more significantly, a Private Business Day, conducted business in the absence of Opposition members and cancelled the Zero Hour and an adjournment motion discussion.

As per their announcement made on Thursday, Opposition Congress and BJP members did not turn up in the House. Due to the absence of Opposition members, a total of five questions asked by them could not be discussed. Only four questions asked by ruling BJD members were discussed.

Even though, after the Question Hour, Speaker Niranjan Pujari sent Parliament Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, Government Chief Whip Anant Das and Deputy Chief Whip Rohit Pujari to bring Congress and BJP members to the House, the latter did not turn up. The Speaker then cancelled the Zero Hour and adjournment motion discussion and adjourned the House till 3 pm.

The Opposition members had on Thursday announced to boycott the House for the last two days of the session alleging undemocratic and unconstitutional way of functioning of the House.During afternoon hours, Finance Minister laid the CAG Report on General and Social Sector for the year ended March 2014. Some probe reports and Private Bills were also presented. The Private Bills presented by BJD member Ranendra Pratap Swain included the Odisha land Surface Water Idol Emerson Prohibition Bill, 2015, the Odisha State SC and ST Commission Bill, 2015 and the Odisha Urban Greenery (Conservation and Renovation) Bill 2015.

Two Bills of BJP member Radharani Panda and Congress member Naba Kishore Das could not be presented due to their absence. later, discussion was held on the Odisha Intoxication Prohibition Bill, 2014.